How to Impress Others with Your Photos

To impress someone else, means to literally put an indentation on someone else. To make an impact on someone else — to affect them emotionally, to make your viewer think, or to also puzzle/confuse your viewer.

Impressing others vs impressing yourself

London, 2013

I think in order to impress others with your photos, you must first impress yourself.

To impress yourself with a photo means:

You look at your own photo, and the photo affects you.

The photo affects you emotionally, punches you in the gut, or sparks some sort of idea within you.

For myself, I am not easily impressed by my own photos. There are a lot of photos that I shoot which I like, but very few photos which have had a lasting impact in myself.

Sapa, 2017

Generally speaking, I must let my photos marinate — photos that have survived the test of time are generally the most impressive photos.

Sapa, 2017

I think the secret is to distance yourself as far from yourself to your own photos, until you forget that you shot them. Then you can judge your photos more objectively, with more scrutiny, and to be less compromising with yourself.

Hanoi, 2017

Do you want to impress others with your photos?

Little Saigon, 2019

Now this is the question which interest me:

Why impress others with your photos?

Reasons to impress others with your photos:

To build a legacy: Put your name into art history

To build fame: To become recognized as an artist, to gain certain external rewards while you’re still alive (money, influence, power)

To build self-esteem: Some people gain more self confidence and esteem when they are praised for their photographs.

Ultimately whether you want to impress others with your photos or not is up to you.

1. Building a legacy

Saigon, 2017 #cindyproject

For myself personally, I would like to build a legacy for my photos. I want my photos to last (preferably for at least 100 years).

Saigon, 2017 #cindyproject

Obviously I cannot reap the rewards of my legacy after I die. So why have a legacy?

To me it is simple:

I want to empower and encourage the future generations of photographers and artists.

2. To build fame

Saigon, 2016 #cindyproject

Legacy is something after you die. Fame is something when you’re still alive.

Now— is fame good? I think so.

Fame is good because fame is power. Power through influence, and power through your ability to make an impact in the world.

Saigon, 2016

If you make more impressing photos, you will obviously become more famous.

Saigon, 2017

But the tricky thing with fame is this:

To become more famous is a combination of your hustle and hard work and luck.

Saigon, 2017

You can be the smartest, most talented, and hard-working photographer — but if you aren’t given any opportunities, if you don’t create your own opportunities, and lady luck isn’t on your side — you’re not going to become famous.

Saigon, 2017

Furthermore, I think becoming famous is around 90% marketing skills. And marketing is important. Don’t be like Vivian Maier — dying before she was able to become famous. We have John Maloof to thank for promoting her work.

Lesson: You must self-promote yourself if you desire to achieve fame while you’re still alive.

3. To build self-esteem

Saigon, 2017

For myself, I like to build my self-esteem independently of others. But the truth is many of us gain self-esteem when we are praised by others for our photos.

Saigon, 2018 #cindyproject

If you make photos that impress others, this will definitely build your self-esteem and ego— which might be good if it encourages you to be more productive and prolific as a photographer.

What makes an impressive photograph?

Singapore, 2017

There are certain ingredients which make an impressive photo.

1. Aesthetics

Hollywood, 2011

First of all is the aesthetics (how the photograph looks). This is determined by the light (temperature of the light, natural or flash), the sensor or film used, the color/tones/hues of the photo, and the composition/framing of the photo.

Aesthetics is also dependent on your post-processing. For example look at my laughing lady photo below (left is the unprocessed RAW photo, the right is processed in Lightroom with a preset):

I think it is evident that the right (processed) photo is more impressive, because the added contrast adds more punch, impact, and power to the photo.

Thus, remember — how you process your photo is essential.

2. Surrealism

Downtown LA, 2016

The more surreal your photo, the better. Why? Most of us disdain reality (reality is boring). If the camera has the ability to TRANSFORM reality to make it more interesting — then your photos will be more impressive.

Istanbul, 2013

Thus the tip is this:

Don’t strive to make your photos “true to reality”— strive to make photos that don’t look like reality!

Mumbai, 2013

3. Open ended photos

Marseille, 2014

When your photos are more open to interpretation, they are more impressive.

Downtown LA, 2015

Why? It allows the viewer to use their brain to interpret the photo. This makes them more emotionally invested in the photograph. They will be more likely to remember your photo, and meditate on your photos.

4. Sensational photos

Detroit, 2013

Like sensational news, we are attracted to sensational images. A sensational photograph is an image which is uncommon — we feel strong sensations when looking at these photographs. They might display touchy subjects like race, class, and what we perceive as injustice.

Marseille, 2013

For example something that upsets us: kids with guns.

Downtown LA, 2013

Or photos of people who look uncommon to us — people who look like “characters” (more unique looking human beings):

Downtown LA, 2019

Woman with self-portrait of herself. Downtown LA, 2011.

Downtown LA, 2016

Downtown LA, 2016

Photo by Rinzi Ruiz // night in Downtown LA

Downtown LA, 2011 / Photo by Rinzi Ruiz

Downtown LA, 2011

5. Eye contact

Downtown LA, 2015

Downtown LA, 2014. ERIC KIM NEOPAN 1600 preset.

Downtown LA, 2014. Ricoh GR digital with ERIC KIM PRESET

Downtown LA, 2014

Generally I think we humans are most attracted by photos of other people. Furthermore, when we make a photo that has eye contact, it makes the users/viewers of our photos more engaged.

From the viewers perspective of your photo:

The viewer feels like the subject of the photograph is looking directly at them!

Conclusion

Ultimately all photos are subjective.

My ultimate tip:

Strive to make photos which impress you.

The more you impress yourself with your own photos, the more likely you are to impress others with your photos!

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